Allan Fleming

Allan Fleming (1929 - 1977) was one of the most important Canadian graphic designers of the twentieth century. Born in Toronto, he became a pioneer of modern typography, book design, and corporate identity in Canada. His most enduring achievement is the CN logo, designed in 1960 for Canadian National Railways, which remains in use today and is recognized internationally as one of the greatest corporate logos ever created. But Fleming’s influence stretched far beyond a single symbol. His work in publishing, advertising, broadcasting, and education left a lasting mark on Canadian culture and on the profession of graphic design itself.

Fleming’s career began early, and he entered the field of design before it was even seen as a proper profession in Canada. Between 1945 and 1947 he worked as an illustrator in the advertising department of the T. Eaton Company. By 1951 he had become an art director with Aikin McCracken, an advertising firm, where he handled accounts such as Ford, Helena Rubenstein, and Kaiser-Frazer. In 1951 he married Nancy Barbara Chisholm, and in 1953 the couple moved to England for two years. There he studied letterforms, book design, and typography under the mentorship of figures like Stanley Morison, Oliver Simon, Herbert Spencer, and Beatrice Warde. This exposure to European design traditions gave him a foundation that he later brought back to Canada, helping to modernize visual communication in the country.

On his return to Toronto in 1955, Fleming established himself as a freelance designer and began teaching part-time at the Ontario College of Art, where he became head of typography until 1961. In 1957 he joined Cooper & Beatty Typesetters as typographic director. His work for the company elevated Canadian typography, earning recognition from the New York Art Directors Club, the Type Directors Club, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He not only produced work for major companies such as General Motors and London Life but also created witty advertising materials for Cooper & Beatty itself, including the celebrated Type-o-file specimen box. Fleming also used this period to organize exhibitions of leading international designers such as Karl Gerstner, Hermann Zapf, and Saul Bass, further exposing Canadian audiences to global design trends.

The turning point in Fleming’s career came in 1959, when he was commissioned by the New York industrial designer James Valkus to create a new symbol for Canadian National Railways. The resulting CN logo, unveiled in 1960, used a single unbroken line to form the letters “C” and “N,” suggesting both motion and continuity. It was a strikingly modern solution and has been praised for its clarity, simplicity, and timelessness. Design historian Alice Rawsthorn later named it one of the top fifty corporate logos of all time. At the same time, Fleming was working on other major projects, including a fundraising brochure for the United Church of Canada and book design for Marshall McLuhan’s “Printing and Social Change.”

Fleming’s reputation grew rapidly. In 1962 he briefly became art director of Maclean’s magazine, radically redesigning its visual style, before moving on to become director of creative services at MacLaren Advertising. At MacLaren he worked with high-profile clients such as General Motors, Imperial Oil, and Lever Brothers, and played an important role in designing materials for the Liberal Party’s 1965 election campaign. Though not officially credited, some scholars believe Fleming also had a hand in refining the final design of the Canadian flag, which bears hallmarks of his approach to simplicity and bold visual form. In 1965 he was promoted to vice-president and associate general manager of MacLaren’s creative department, overseeing a large team and guiding some of the most important campaigns of the decade.

In addition to his corporate work, Fleming took on civic and cultural projects. He created the visual identity for Ontario Hydro in 1965, designed the crest and stationery for Trent University, and collaborated with architect Ron Thom on signage for Massey College at the University of Toronto. He designed books and catalogues for major institutions such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery of Canada. In 1967, for Canada’s Centennial, he designed the lavish National Film Board book Canada: A Year of the Land, which won him the Centennial Medal of Canada and international recognition for excellence in book design.

In 1968 Fleming was appointed chief designer at the University of Toronto Press, a position created specifically for him. The press was then one of the largest in North America, publishing up to one hundred books a year. Fleming transformed the look of Canadian academic publishing by introducing modern typography, cleaner layouts, and innovative approaches to covers and illustrations. He also co-founded the Martlet Press with master printer Ernie Herzig, producing high-quality photography and art books, many of which won awards from the AIGA and international book fairs. His work at UTP included designs for monumental projects such as The Collected Works of Erasmus, which continues to use his design template.

Despite health problems, including heart attacks and strokes in the early 1970s, Fleming continued to work at a remarkable pace. He collaborated with Burton Kramer Associates on the visual identity of the CBC and with other firms on projects for Reed Paper, Canada Post, and the Financial Post. He also designed for cultural institutions, including the Ontario Science Centre and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and contributed to activist causes, creating posters for Jane Jacobs’ campaign against the Spadina Expressway in Toronto. Even during periods of illness, he designed Canadian stamps, lectured, and participated in exhibitions that promoted the value of design in public life.

Allan Fleming was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the Alliance Graphique Internationale, and became the first Fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada. He was also named a Fellow of the Ontario College of Art. His colleagues remembered him not only as a brilliant designer but as a persuasive communicator and inspiring mentor who believed in the power of design to shape society.

Fleming died in 1977 at the age of 48, leaving behind a body of work that defined modern Canadian design. His CN logo is still in use more than six decades after its creation, and his contributions to publishing, advertising, and corporate identity remain milestones in the country’s design history. More than just a talented artist, Allan Fleming was a cultural figure who brought international standards to Canadian design and elevated the profession in the eyes of business, government, and the public. His legacy endures in every book, logo, and visual identity he created, and in the countless designers he influenced through his teaching, leadership, and example.